She lifted her chin, determined to make a quick and inconspicuous exit, but then a long-haired young man in a tweed coat hurried toward her, managing to spill his coffee down the front of his white shirt as he approached.
“Wait, Miss Mitchell! Good grief—I mean, good evening.” Holding a Styrofoam cup with one hand, the young man swiped at his stained shirt with the other, then fumbled in his trousers pocket—for a handkerchief, Lauren hoped. “I’m Taylor Briner,” he said, looking at her with a chagrined expression. “Mr. Prentice’s administrative assistant. And I’ve been dying to meet you. I’m a real fan.”
Since a handshake seemed out of the question, Lauren smiled. “Thank you, I think. I was supposed to meet Mr. Prentice here.”
“Yes, he’s expecting you.” A handkerchief appeared from Taylor’s pocket, and the young man absently wiped his shirt as he explained. “He was called away for a moment, though—some problem with one of the mainframes running a sample Millennium Chip code—but he told me to keep an eye out for you.”
“Well, I must thank you.” Lauren gave him a pleasant smile, then looked away. She shouldn’t have come. She was overdressed, overanxious, and overwrought. She would have had a much more festive holiday if she’d stayed in her townhouse and curled up with a nice novel and Tasha by her side.
“Come on.” The young man tossed his coffee cup into a nearby wastebasket, then gallantly took her arm. Too surprised to object, Lauren let him pull her out of the auditorium and down another corridor. In a moment they stood outside an impressive looking pair of carved oak doors. Her skittish abductor pressed the security button and announced, “Taylor Briner and Miss Mitchell to see Mr. Prentice, please.”
“Thank you, Mr. Briner.”
The domineering biddy who controlled the doors didn’t give him any lip. The lock clicked, and Taylor pulled the door open, then ushered Lauren into a wide, spacious office. A huge semicircular desk, the obvious center of power, dominated the office, but the overall effect was airy and pleasant. Amber-colored lamps softly lit the space, and warm shadows filled the corners where graceful ficus trees added a splash of color. A matching pair of leather sofas faced each other in a corner, and a series of computer monitors ran along the opposite wall, bathing that part of the room in a soft gray glow.
“Please have a seat.” Taylor motioned toward the sofas. “May I get you something to drink?”
Could he manage it without spilling? Lauren cast a pointed look at his stained shirt, then smiled and shook her head. “No, thank you,” she said, sinking onto one of the leather sofas. “I’ll just wait here.”
“He won’t be long, I promise.” Taylor stood in the center of the room, nervously rocking back and forth on his heels, then snapped his fingers as if he’d had a sudden flash of inspiration. “Let me check on him now. He’s probably in the lab, but he won’t want to miss you.”
Lauren crossed her legs and smothered a smile as he flew from the room. Leaning back on the sofa, she propped her elbow on the supple leather and rested the back of her head on her hand.
What a sucker she was. The man said he missed her, and like a moth to a flame she’d flown to be with him, leaving her dignity and self-respect behind. She could have gone to any of a dozen Washington New Year’s Eve parties, any one of which would have done more to advance her career than this last-minute dash to New York. Worse yet, she wouldn’t be surprised if Daniel Prentice kept her sitting on this sofa all night. After all, the man had money, success, power, and a room full of eggheads to entertain. Why did he need her?
But he’d said he missed her. And something in Lauren was very, very glad to know she was missed.
“Lauren!” Daniel felt his spirits lift at the sight of her.
“Mr. Prentice, I presume?” Her lips smiled at him, but a definite trace of annoyance hovered in her eyes. She made no move to rise from the sofa but lifted her hand toward her mouth, deliberately masking a rather obvious yawn.
“I apologize.” He reached out and caught her hand, then sank to her side on the couch. “I would have been downstairs to greet you, but something came up in the development lab. I thought it would only take a moment, but time got away from me.”
He leaned back to better observe her. Heavens, he’d forgotten how beautiful she was. She had arranged her hair differently tonight—she wore it upswept, away from her face, and it gleamed like gold in the lamplight. She wore a simple black dress that accented her slim figure, and a tantalizing slit ran from the hem to just above her knee. How could any of those stuffed suits in Washington resist her?
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, feeling slightly drugged by the light, feminine scent that surrounded her. “Dare I say that you’ve grown more lovely since we’ve been apart?”
One elegant brow lifted as he opened his eyes. “Have you been taking etiquette lessons, Mr. Prentice? Or do you think flattery will get you off the hook for abandoning me?”
“I said I was sorry.” He squeezed her hand. “And I want everyone to meet you. More than that, I want you with me when we make our big announcement at midnight.”
“A big announcement?” Despite her cool mien, interest flickered in her blue eyes.
“Yes. Something you’ll appreciate.”
Standing, he took both her hands and lifted her from the sofa, then paused as they stood close together. He studied the gentle curve of her mouth, the intelligence in her eyes, the graceful strength of her hands. She met his gaze and made no attempt to hide the attraction that leapt like an electric spark between them.
Women were such a wonder. He’d always been aware of Lauren’s beauty, but he’d been struck speechless at the wedding when he stood at Brad’s side and saw Christine look up at him as if she’d found her fulfillment in Brad’s eyes. Brad had been no less moved, promising to love, protect, and cherish the young woman who stood trembling beside him. And in that moment, as he watched two become one, Daniel had realized that something very important had been missing from his own life for far too long.
Now he looked down at Lauren, who trembled slightly, too. Over the past few weeks as he thought about her, he’d come up with a dozen good reasons why they’d make a perfect team, but the feelings that swept through him now had nothing to do with reason.
“Thank you for coming.” His voice sounded husky in his own ears. “It means a lot to me.”
For once, she did not look away. “Thank you for asking . . . and for showing up. I was beginning to wonder if I should have come.”
“Mr. Prentice?”
Roberta’s voice jarred him from his thoughts. Daniel turned toward the microphone, irritated by his own creation. “Yes, Roberta?”
“You asked me to remind you of the time. It is eleven o’clock.”
“Thank you, Roberta.” With a giddy sense of pleasure, Daniel slipped Lauren’s hand through his arm. “Shall we go?”
She nodded, and a feeling of pride swept through Daniel as he led her from his office and into the auditorium. As they mingled among employees and spouses and sampled various hors d’oeuvres, Daniel fancied that he knew how a crown prince must feel when introducing his ladylove to the realm. Though everyone received Lauren with graceful smiles, a host of curious eyes followed her as they moved throughout the room. He knew gossiping tongues would wag in the cafeteria tomorrow. His employees’ approval, however, was a moot point—by bringing Lauren to this exclusive company gathering, he had indicated to one and all that she was more than a passing fancy. If all went well in the next two months—and if she’d have him—Daniel fully expected to ask Lauren Mitchell to become a permanent part of his life.
When all the introductions had been made, Daniel took Lauren on an abbreviated tour of the complex, then returned her to the auditorium just as the oversized television screens filled with images of Times Square. “Five minutes and counting,” a fresh-faced entertainment reporter told the television audience. “The crowd here is jubilant, simply ecstatic, eager to begin this next-to-the-last
year of the twentieth century. And just in case you think the year two thousand is the first year of the twenty-first century, here’s Adrian Romulus, commission president of the Europoean Union, to explain why it’s not.”
Daniel crossed his arms as the camera shifted to a man who looked vaguely familiar. The fellow was in his forties, tall, with dark hair and arresting good looks that completely captured the camera’s attention. “Well, it’s not difficult to understand, Cyndi,” he said, brushing his gloved hands together as if he were cold. “After all, if we were counting from one to ten, we’d understand that ten was the last item in the first group of ten, not the first item in the next group. So the year 2000 actually ends one millennium, while the year 2001 begins a new one. But we’re excited to see a new year arrive, regardless of what number it’s wearing.”
“That’s a wonderful way to explain it,” the reporter gushed, her cheeks glowing red on the color monitors. “But I understand that you have a special announcement for us. Would you like to tell us about it?”
“Greetings from your friends across the Atlantic,” the man said, giving the camera a professional smile. “My name is Adrian Romulus, and on behalf of the citizens of Europe I’d like to extend a personal wish for a successful new year to each and every soul in the United States. We have wonderful news to share with you—a much-anticipated final peace and unity has come to the troubled Korean peninsula. After long negotiations and five decades of conflict, I’m pleased to announce that peace now permanently reigns over that divided land, and two halves of one people are now permanently united. To the millions of Americans who served in that area, may I offer my heartfelt gratitude!”
Beaming at Romulus, the reporter lifted her hands to applaud his announcement. As the dull thump of her pounding mittens echoed across the airwaves, the lighted ball began to drop and the Times Square crowd roared.
“What a wonderful way to begin 1999!” the reporter crowed. Romulus disappeared from the screen, and the reporter stopped clapping and spoke to the television audience. “Adrian Romulus, for those of you who don’t know, is one of Europe’s foremost negotiators. We are certain to be hearing more from him in the coming months.”
“Ten! Nine! Eight!” The crowd in the Prentice Technologies auditorium took up the chant. “Seven! Six! Five!”
Daniel turned to Lauren and shouted over the noise. “I’ve heard that name.”
“What?”
“Didn’t General Herrick tell us he worked for Adrian Romulus?”
“Two! One! Happy New Year!”
Inside the Prentice Technologies auditorium, whistles blew, the nets over the ceiling dropped their cargo of bright balloons, and the band began to play “Auld Lang Syne.” Prentice employees who would never think of embracing one another during the year hugged and slapped each other on the back. Taking advantage of the moment, Daniel pulled Lauren to him and kissed her.
It was a quick gesture, a kiss as light and tender as a summer breeze, but it had the desired effect. When they pulled apart, Lauren’s eyes were wide with wonder and surprise, her cheeks blazing with color.
Daniel smiled as he shifted his attention back to the television screens. If the kiss had meant nothing to her, she would not have reacted at all.
His employees turned to him as someone lowered the sound on the television monitor. “Speech, boss!” someone shouted, and Daniel squeezed Lauren’s arm briefly before ascending to the platform where the band played. He stood there, grinning broadly while his enthusiastic team applauded, then he held up his hand for silence.
“When I was asked to go to Washington a few weeks ago, I’ll confess that I was more than a little reluctant.” He put one hand in his coat pocket and looked out over the crowd. “After all, we were busy with our own Y2K fix and the First Manhattan project. But as some of you know, the windows of opportunity opened while I was in Washington.”
“Tell us!”
“Come on, boss!”
Daniel grinned. “It’s no secret anymore, so I might as well tell you. Two days ago, just before breaking from their special Year 2000 emergency session, Congress passed a series of laws guaranteed to keep this country on track into the twenty-first century. First, all computers must be certified before they will be able to connect to any modem, network, or the Internet.” Unable to help himself, he grinned. “And the program they’ll require to be certified is our own Millennium Code.”
Silence hovered over the room for a moment as the full significance of his words took hold.
“Are you saying,” Taylor Briner called out, “that you’re finally going to make millionaires of us all?”
“What I’m saying,” Daniel threw the answer back, “is that if we were a football team, we’ve just won the Super Bowl. But that’s not all. Included in this legislation are two other provisions. One, the United States will become a completely cash-free society by January 1, 2000. Transactions after that will be handled only by debit cards or other forms of electronic transfer. And two, Prentice Technologies has been named senior contractor for the design and production of over 250 million personal identification devices and scanners.”
He pressed his hand to his shirt and tried his best to look humble. “Yes, Taylor, you just might be a millionaire before this century ends. Beginning Monday, we will be interviewing to staff new divisions. As we reshuffle our present employees, probably half of you will find yourselves in management positions with new salaries and new responsibilities.” As excited whispers vibrated through the room, Daniel lifted his hand and snapped a jaunty salute to his people. “Congratulations, team. This coming year will be the most profitable, most exciting year any of us has ever known.”
He stepped down amid a wave of applause, then caught Lauren’s arm and escorted her back to his office.
“That was some announcement,” she said, gracefully sinking into the sofa. “I didn’t know you knew about the special congressional session. The president wanted to keep everything under wraps until he was sure he had the votes.”
“I’ve been spending a lot of time on the phone with General Archer,” Daniel answered, sitting next to her. “The Department of Defense helped orchestrate the vote, and he thought it wise to keep me in the loop. Each department represented in the president’s cabinet will devote 10 percent of its 1999 budget to Millennium Project development. And by the end of the year, when every person in the United States has been chipped, each department will recover savings amounting to far more than the amount they budgeted. Health and Human Services, for instance, will virtually eliminate fraud in Social Security, Medicare, and Welfare. Illegal aliens will become a part of the past. The black market, illegal drug trade, and money laundering will vanish overnight. Who knows? The tax rate might even fall when everyone begins paying their fair share. Right now officials in the Treasury Department estimate that up to 25 percent of the economy operates underground and is not taxed.”
“Amazing.” Lauren twisted to face him. “I suppose the Department of the Treasury will begin to phase out paper money almost immediately.”
“They’re very eager to do so.” Daniel leaned forward and slipped his tight shoes off, wiggling his toes to stimulate circulation again. “Do you realize how many crimes are facilitated with cash? Drug runners, smuggling, even those tens and twenties you slip the babysitter and your cleaning lady—all that is unreported income that Uncle Sam can’t tax. If you do away with paper money, every transaction will go on the record.”
“So how do I pay my cleaning lady?”
“You write a check, of course. Or you sit at your home computer, call up your account, and have the amount transferred from your account to hers via electronic banking. Very simple, economical, and efficient.”
“Anything to make life easier.”
She murmured the words in a sleepy tone, but Daniel wasn’t feeling at all tired. He turned slightly and laced his fingers together as a thought resurfaced in his memory. “I meant to ask you, have you ever met Adrian
Romulus? What have you heard about negotiations between North and South Korea?”
Lauren absently raked a stray strand of hair from her forehead. “No, and nothing. I’ve never met Romulus, and I’ve only heard bits and pieces about Korea. There was talk last spring about the beginnings of negotiations, but I had no idea they’d advanced so quickly.” She dropped her hand to his and tapped it lightly with a manicured fingernail. “That’s not really my field. You probably ought to talk to the president’s advisor for foreign affairs.”
“I might.” Daniel hesitated, still wanting to put all the pieces together. “Did Romulus’s speech strike you as a little odd?”
“Odd?” She frowned. “What’s odd about wishing the world peace in the coming year?”
“Not that.” Daniel narrowed his eyes, recalling the memory. “He said he wanted to extend a personal wish for a successful new year to each and every soul in the United States.” He focused on her eyes. “Doesn’t his use of the word soul strike you as a bit antiquated? Some scientists will argue that man doesn’t even have a soul, while there are theologians today who will swear that even animals and trees do.”
“He just sounds like a politician to me.” Lauren curled her knees up on the sofa and rested her head on the back cushion. “He didn’t want to offend the tree and animal lovers, so, like a wise and considerate diplomat, he included everything. Most people, Daniel, wouldn’t give another thought to his choice of words. Sometimes I think you think too much.”
Seeing the glint of humor in her eyes, Daniel leaned toward her. “You might be right. Maybe I need someone to distract me.”
Her cheeks colored under the heat of his gaze, and for an instant he thought he saw a flicker of desire light her own eyes, but when he reached out to caress her shoulder, she stiffened beneath his touch.
“Daniel.” She pulled away. “This has been nice, but I really have to go. I need to be back in Washington tomorrow.”
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